Multiple-use greeting card

ABSTRACT

A multiple-use greeting card comprising a panel bearing a desired greeting message and having a plurality of signature locations on the opposite side thereof. Each signature location includes a signature line and a date line and the arrangement is such that the signature locations comprise a permanent recipient record so that each successive recipient of the card may review the prior travels of the card between prior recipients and such that one or more of the signature locations cannot be removed without destroying at least part of the greeting message to insure permanence of the recipient record.

United States Patent Cieslak et al.

[ 1 July 15, 1975 MULTIPLE-USE GREETING CARD Inventors: Henry Cieslak, 200 E. 55th Pl.,

Gary, Ind. 46410; Mac Nowak, 530 E. 54th Ct., Gary, Ind. 46409 Filed: May 6, 1971 Appl. No.: 140,754

US. Cl. 283/1; 229/92.8; 229/73; 40/56 Int. Cl. B42d 15/00 Field of Search 59/3; 229/92.8, 73; 283/1, 283/56; 40/126 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary ExaminerLawrence Charles Attorney, Agent, or FirmWegner, Stellman, McCord, Wiles & Wood [57] ABSTRACT A multiple-use greeting card comprising a panel bearing a desired greeting message and having a plurality of signature locations on the opposite side thereof. Each signature location includes a signature line and a date line and the arrangement is such that the signature locations comprise a permanent recipient record so that each successive recipient of the card may review the prior travels of the card between prior recipients and such that one or more of the signature locations cannot be removed without destroying at least part of the greeting message to insure permanence of the recipient record.

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% {IQQQMZA Awgvlz s MULTIPLE-USE GREETING CARD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to greeting cards.

Recent years have seen a business explosion in the greeting card industry and an accompanying proliferation of greeting cards for all occasions. The cards available differ substantially running the gauntlet from cards of the serious nature to those in a more lighthearted vein and on many occasions, a receiver of a card feels a desire to share the message with some other acquaintance. However, according to present practices, such is not ordinarily done inasmuch as a person sending on a card that he previously has received could well appear, in the eyes of the second recipient, to merely be interested in saving the cost of a new card as opposed to being desirous of sharing a particular message, whether lighthearted or serious.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved greeting card that is susceptible to multiple use; and more specifically, one that removes any stigma attaching to a reuser of the card by reason of its being forwarded to a second or third recipient so that an abundance of delightful greetings, whether serious or lighthearted, may be more readily shared with acquaintances and loved ones.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved greeting card wherein recipients of a card, to their amusement or enjoyment, are apprised by a permanent record on the card itself of the previous travels of the card.

The exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves the foregoing object by means of a card defined by at least one panel bearing a desired greeting message along with a plurality of signature locations on the opposite side of the panel each having a signature line and a date line which may be progressively filled in by each successive recipient as he forwards the card to another. In order to insure permanence of the recipient record, the signature locations are located with respect to the greeting message so that any attempt to remove one or more of the signature locations will result in a destruction of at least part of the greeting message.

According to a preferred embodiment, the card is formed of two hingedly interconnected panels and the signature locations, in addition to a signature line and a date line, include an address line. According to one embodiment particularly suited for greeting cards intended to honor an annual occasion, the date line is preprinted. In addition, instructions for use of the card are preferably printed on one of the panels.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a greeting card made according to the invention illustrating a front or first panel thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a third panel of the card;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a card made according to the invention and illustrating a plurality of signature locations placed on the card;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a rear panel of the card and nested under the flap of an envelope; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the matter shown within the dotted line 5 illustrated in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An exemplary embodiment of a greeting card made according to the invention is illustrated in the drawings and is seen to include a front panel 10 and a back panel 12 formed of any suitable material such as paper or the like. The panels 10 and 12 are hingedly connected to each other at 14 as by folding a single sheet of material at a desired point.

The card includes four information bearing surfaces including a first information bearing surface 16 on the front panel (FIG. 1), a second information bearing sur face 18, also on the front panel (FIG. 2), a third information bearing surface 20 on the back panel 12 and a fourth information bearing surface 22 also on the back panel 12 (FIG. 4).

According to a preferred embodiment, the first information bearing surface bears indicia 24 defining a greeting message. As used herein, the indicia 24 defining the greeting message may be in the form of printing or script or in the form of art work such as a picture or an embossed design or the like, or combinations thereof.

The third information bearing surface 20 may be provided with similar indicia 26, again, in the form of writing or art work, or both.

The fourth information bearing surface 22 (FIG. 4) may be unused, or more typically, may include indicia 28 identifying the manufacturer of the card. Alternatively, it too could bear a greeting message.

The second information bearing surface 18 is provided with a plurality of signature locations 30. As illustrated in FIG. 3, each signature location 30 includes a date line 32, a signature line 34 and an address line 36. In some cases, the date line 32 may be preprinted as illustrated at 38 with each date for each signature location being progressively increased in a desired order.

Finally, the second information bearing surface 18 may also be provided with indicia 40 stating instructions for use of the card. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, the instructions may take the form of a statement along the lines of Send along to someone new each year by using one of our standard business envelopes.

The signature locations 30 define a permanent recipient record of the travels of the card. For example, with reference to FIG. 3, the first person sending the same would fill in the uppermost signature location as appropriate and mail the card to a desired recipient. That recipient upon remailing the card would fill in the second signature location and send the same to the third recipient. At that point, the third recipient would have a record of previous recipients of the card and could trace the travels of the card between prior recipients with the result that the permanent recipient record provides a source of amusement and/or information of interest to each succeeding recipient.

To insure that the recipient record defined by the signature location 30 is permanent, it is highly desirable that the same be located on one of the panels in such a way that any attempt to remove one or more of the signature locations, as by tearing the same from the card, will result in at least partial destruction of the message to thereby discourage any such thought on the part of a recipient. In this way, the principal purpose of the card and the enjoyment in tracing the travels of the card from recipient to recipient is preserved.

In order to insure easy mailing, it may be desirable that the card be such as to be easily received within a conventional business envelope such as that illustrated at 42 in FIG. 4. Thus, remailing of the card after the original envelope has been used will not pose a prob lem. The card the the envelope may be of any desired size ranging from the large rectangular card and matching envelope to the small square card and matching envelope. The size and shape of the card is not a limiting factor in our invention.

We claim:

1. A multiple-use greeting card comprising a card defining panel means, said panel means bearing a desired greeting message and a plurality of signature locations, said panel means having at least two hingedly interconnected panels defining first, second, third and fourth information bearing surfaces, said greeting message being located on said first and third surfaces and said signature locations being located on said second surface, said signature locations each including a signature line, an address line, and a date line with a preprinted date, said signature locations and said panel means being constructed and arranged with respect to each other as to constitute a permanent recipient record so that each successive recipient of the card may review the prior travels of the card between prior recipients, said signature locations and said greeting message being constructed and arranged with respect to each other that removal of one of said signature locations will result in destruction of at least part of said greeting message to insure permanence of the recipient record, and one of said second and third surfaces further including an instructional message explaining use of the card. 

1. A multiple-use greeting card comprising a card defining panel means, said panel means bearing a desired greeting message and a plurality of signature locations, said panel means having at least two hingedly interconnected panels defining first, second, third and fourth information bearing surfaces, said greeting message being located on said first and third surfaces and said signature locations being located on said second surface, said signature locations each including a signature line, an address line, and a date line with a preprinted date, said signature locations and said panel means being constructed and arranged with respect to each other as to constitute a permanent recipient record so that each successive recipient of the card may review the prior travels of the card between prior recipients, said signature locations and said greeting message being constructed and arranged with respect to each other that removal of one of said signature locations will result in destruction of at least part of said greeting message to insure permanence of the recipient record, and one of said second and third surfaces further including an instructional message explaining use of the card. 